Holder: West Indies can bounce back
KINGSTON (CMC):
Veteran West Indies all-rounder Jason Holder says the regional side is still confident of winning the series despite losing the opening T20 International to Australia on Sunday.
The Windies stuttered with the bat and were inconsistent with the ball on their way to a three-wicket defeat in the first game of the five-match series.
With the second game scheduled to be played today at Sabina Park, Holder said the team just needed to sharpen up some key areas in both the batting and bowling departments.
"There was obviously a high boundary count by the Aussies so maybe if we can limit that, cut a few of the sixes to fours and fours to maybe twos or threes, that adds up in the end.
"But having said that, I think our execution could be better and if we execute better, I think that those margins could come down a little bit," Holder said in a post-match interview on Sunday.
"I don't think we could really hit the top order that much, but I think if anything maybe the lower half could probably spend a few more balls before we start to hit, but I think the situation was one where we believed it was a 200-odd pitch and guys thought that they had to come in and go hard."
Today's game will also be the final match for Andre Russell in West Indies colours, with the dynamic 37-year-old Jamaican all-rounder set to retire from international cricket.
Holder, a former West Indies captain, said it would be a fitting tribute if they could win Russell's final game in front of his home crowd.
"Yeah, it would be great to send him off on a high and it would be great to send him off on a winning note, which I'm confident that we can definitely do. We've got confidence that we can turn it around.
"It's just one game in the series, four left and in his final game we just want to go out there and give everything for him," Holder said.